Chapter 3881 — Defeat
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 2
With that, Murong Zhen let out a soft, honeyed little cry, and her figure shot swiftly toward Xiao Che.
The instant she moved, everyone below the stage—Meng Jueming and Wei Zhao included—opened their eyes wide and watched closely to gauge the depth of her strength.
Though she had been at the Welcome Newcomer Pavilion for a full month and had taken the stage first in every round of the newcomer challenge, the gap in strength had been too vast: against her, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage, every newcomer she named simply conceded with great tact, so in all that month no one had ever seen her make a move.
But now the man she faced was Xiao Che, no ordinary newcomer. As an expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage, he felt the same pressure facing Murong Zhen, yet not to the point of not daring to fight at all.
Given Xiao Che's foundations, unless Murong Zhen was an invincible existence even among peak early Foundation Establishment cultivators, then even with victory all but assured, beating Xiao Che would not be so easy.
The moment Murong Zhen moved, Xiao Che moved with her. Possessed of so exquisite a movement art as the Lost Trace Step, Xiao Che had never been one to relish clashing head-on; using the Lost Trace Step to circle with his opponent, advancing and retreating in search of an opening to strike—that was Xiao Che's style of battle.
And it was precisely this style that gave him the confidence to fight above his level against Murong Zhen, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Had it been someone like Qiao Hongcai, who knew only how to trade blows head-on, challenging above one's level would have been little short of seeking death.
"Oh, Brother Xiao Che has such fine footwork!" Murong Zhen's eyes lit up again.
Owing to her advantage in cultivation level, her speed was plainly a notch above Xiao Che's; in theory he should never have escaped her grasp, and yet within the limited space of the arena Xiao Che somehow left her with no opening at all.
This was thanks entirely to the Lost Trace Step. Its straight-line speed might not be so great, but for darting and weaving within a small space, it stood absolutely second to none among all movement arts.
Even so, Xiao Che dared not be careless in the least, for he had already pushed the Lost Trace Step to its limit and could at best keep circling with Murong Zhen—enough to stay unbeaten, but not to find an opening to strike.
After all, a peak expert of the early Foundation Establishment stage was not so easily dealt with. And the reason Murong Zhen had been summoned to the Soaring Heaven Pavilion was not merely that distant kinship with Elder Murong—it was chiefly her own strength. This woman was no mere vase, pretty but useless.
Xiao Che had foreseen this situation. If the Lost Trace Step alone could seize the initiative, his opponent would have been far too feeble; but if things went on this way, the situation was hardly favorable to him either.
The Lost Trace Step's effects were astonishing, but it also consumed a great deal of true qi. If this kept up, Xiao Che reckoned he certainly could not outlast Murong Zhen.
And just as Xiao Che was about to take a risk and wait for his chance, Murong Zhen, close on his heels, suddenly giggled: "Brother Xiao Che, they say a mountain stands between a man chasing a woman, but only a veil between a woman chasing a man. This beauty has chased you so long—you might at least give some response!"
Teasing! Teasing again!
Though Xiao Che did not want to pay her any mind, his Lost Trace Step involuntarily slowed a fraction. Then his heart went cold—killing intent had bloomed behind him!